Your Focus Determines Your Reality

By Nicole Deacon

“I can’t take the heat” “I’m not flexible” “I need to get into shape first”  “I’ll never be able to do that”  “I can’t bend my knee” “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I won’t I won’t I won’t” As a teacher we hear these words every single day.  Before class students pull us aside and say I wanted to let you know I can’t ________ fill in the blank.  Well, not with that attitude!The beautiful thing about this yoga in my opinion… is quite frankly… it doesn’t matter.  Not to be mean or harsh, but really… it doesn’t matter what you can’t do.  What matters is you try the right way to the best of your ability.  Bikram Yoga has nothing to do with and is not concerned with what you can not do YET!!! The only thing you need to be concerned with is what you CAN do.  Do everything you can to the best of your ability and you will receive the benefits of this yoga.  Maybe all you can do that day is get to class.  Maybe all you can do is breathe.  Maybe all you can do is 10% of the posture.  Great!  Do that!  Come back the next day and do that again!There is a universal law called the "Law of Praise and Increase".  If you want a dollar and have a dime and you curse the 90 cents you don’t have, you won’t get it.  But if you praise the 10 cents you do have, more will come to you.This yoga is designed to heal the body.  It is physical therapy.  You can come when you are injured, sad, depressed, overweight, when you are not at the top of your game.  When you leave class you will feel good.  If you continue to come you will start to improve your body and your well-being.In my experience as a practitioner and a teacher of this yoga I have seen miracles happen.  If you focus on the things you can do, pretty soon you can do things you never thought possible.  If you spend your energy and attention on what you can’t do you get bored, frustrated, injured.  But as you train your mind to focus on what you can do, you will continue to be able to do more and more.

One of most clear examples of this is our student Jeffery Derwallis.  He fell from a 3 story building while serving in the Marine Corps. The result was a "burst fracture"of the 1st lumbar vertebra creating severe damaged to his spinal cord. Soon after complications arose and he became a "complete" paraplegic.  It would have been easy for him and completely justified to come into this room and say I can’t do this yoga.  I can’t balance on one leg, I can’t stand up, these postures are impossible.  No one would have questioned him or blamed him if he felt this way.

That’s not what he did.  Instead all he did was what he COULD do.  In the early stages of the game we looked at postures one by one.  Can you do this?  Great!  How about this?  Not yet, okay well do this.  When he started it was difficult for him to stay seated without falling backwards, the teacher handed him his feet during bow pose, he wasn’t able to sit down in fixed firm.  In 2008 he  began his first 60 day challenge! His circulation had improved so much that the veins started to become visible in his legs and feet. The numbness and pain in his hands was gone. And he lost 36 lbs. Two years after he started the Yoga he was able to touch his hands palms together in Eagle and touch his head to the floor in Fixed Firm. In Feb 2011, he got on to his feet for Pada Hastasana! For the first time in 20 years his legs held his weight without any kind of brace. Little by little he built strength and vitality where for so long there was none.  To quote him, “ Since starting my yoga practice my health has improved 1000% along with just about every aspect of my life. “

Let Jeff be our example.  To quote Star Wars, “Your focus determines your reality.”  So focus on the things you can do.  Can you lock out in standing bow?  No, okay can you grab your foot, can you stretch forward, and can you kick back?  Great!  Do that.  Come back the next day and do that again.   The object of yoga is not the posture.  The object of yoga is you.

Can you control the government, the economy, your parents, your kids, your spouse, your boss, and your ten-year-old high school injury?  NO!!  What can you do?  Can you show up to yoga?  Can you breathe?  Can you focus one spot?  Can you lie still?  Can you be kind to your neighbor?  Can you smile at a stranger?   Can you?  Can you?  Can you?

Just try.

Finding Your Bengal Tiger Strength

By P.J. Stuart I remember attending my first-ever Bikram yoga class and finding myself in shock when, at the end of the standing series, the teacher said, “Alright everyone … we have now just completed the ‘warm-up’ portion of the class.”

WHAT?!  Warm up?  That was more intense than most workouts I’ve done recently, and it’s only the warm up? In that same class, I heard the teacher remind us all to call upon our “Bengal tiger strength.” It suddenly dawned on me this yoga class was something else.

I’ve finally decided to find out more about what “Bengal Tiger strength” entails.  (A few months ago, I embarked on a similar quest, when I wrote a post explaining how to conjure your English bulldog determination.) There are lots of interesting attributes I could provide for you about Bengal Tigers to help you create a picture in your mind. Next time you hear those words, you’ll know exactly what they mean.

Turns out, Bengal tigers are known as the “silent hunters” of India’s forests – amazingly stealthy even though they weigh more than 550 pounds and stand more than ten feet tall on their hind legs. Bengal tigers have heavily muscled bodies, with the highest muscle percentage of muscle of any mammal (along with their friend the Jaguar). When they pounce, Bengal tigers can leap more than 20 feet to catch their victims. They’ll chase down their prey at speeds of 40 miles per hour and above, even fast runners like the ostrich.

Everything about them is strong. Their razor-sharp claws are retractable, to grasp hold of their victims more easily; and their tongues are rough, to help scrape the meat off the bones of their prey.  Their canine teeth are five inches long to sink deep into the flesh.

Yep, there’s no messing around with the Bengal tiger. Get scary, people. This is more than just a wildcat – this is a ferocious beast. Mr. Bengal tiger doesn’t care who is watching or what time of day it is; he’s strong and determined all the time.

What I found most interesting when conducting my research is that Bengal tigers have actually had a direct impact on the way we exercise today. (Not just when a BYPV teacher tells you to draw on your Bengal tiger strength, but in an even more fundamental way.)

Charles Atlas, also known as the grandfather of the modern fitness industry, popularized a form of exercise called “Dynamic Tension” simply by observing cats such as the Bengal tiger.

In the 1920s, Mr. Atlas wanted to understand how these cats developed such large muscles without -- you know -- lifting barbells at the gym. In their play, he noted the tigers became strong by pitting their own muscles against themselves. In other words – tensing a particular body part and then moving the body part as if a heavy weight was being lifted. (Imagine firming your bicep and lifting an invisible dumbbell over and over again).

I couldn’t help but think of all the tensing and firming we do in Bikram yoga class, lifting our own heavy muscles in the air against the force of gravity. Training the natural way, like Bengal tigers do. In Locust pose, aka Salabhasana, for instance: “Lock your knee, tighten the quads and gluts, and LIFT your legs into the air.” Are those some Bengal tiger legs I’m starting to see?  ;)

There are many postures which fit the bill – but maybe that’s a good place to start consciously drawing on some of that amazing Bengal tiger strength.   Go get ‘em, tiger!

Prescription for a Healthy and Happy Life

By Jarka Kovarova Two years ago, I stepped into a yoga studio for the first time, knowing nothing about Bikram Yoga. The people I saw were sweaty and tired, but smiling. "Try it; you will like it,” one lady said to me. So, I took her advice and I tried it. She was right, I loved it!  I'm happily part of a 5:30 am group which consists of amazingly strong people who inspire me every day. The people I have come to know through yoga along with my beliefs about nutrition and exercise has proven to be a perfect match.

I was born in Prague, Czech Republic, where I lived for half of my life. I always believed in a healthy lifestyle and I am sure that is why I have never missed a day of work in over 20 years due to illness. I believe that proper nutrition is the best medication. As Hippocrates said, “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, we would have found the safest way to health.” What we eat, together with exercise has a direct influence on our health and general well-being. I participate yoga for a couple of very important benefits that mean a lot to me. I have found that yoga has a positive impact on my physical body, strengthens my muscles, improve balance and posture, increase my flexibility and keep my body in good condition. In addition, yoga has also had a positive influence on my psyche, emotions, and assists with relaxing of my mind. As Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra states, “Yogash chita vritti nirodha,” or “Yoga is the cessation of turning of mind.” My mind becomes still and peaceful. I feel mentally more resilient, stronger, with positive thoughts, and more content feelings.

My favorite posture is the Standing Bow posture. It gives me a chance to learn how to have better balance and calm my breathing.  This posture is a challenge for my determination, which is to never give up. To me, it is more than posture; it is a challenge for my mind.

For me Bikram Yoga is a prescription for healthy and happy life. I love our enthusiastic team of teachers who welcome everybody like they are family. No one ever came to yoga without leaving a better person, more grateful, feeling happier, full of smiles and warm feelings in the heart. Yoga is a friend not only for my body, but also for my mind.

You Can Balance Here Forever

By Nate Fillmore balance. balŸance (ba-ln(t)s) noun, verb, adjective. (n) a weighing device. (v) to keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall (adj) mental and emotional steadiness (balanced).

There are 9 definitions of balance according to Webster’s Dictionary and 3 times as many variations in the ways we use the term in our everyday lives. People are constantly trying to balance their time, between professional and personal life. Within personal life we try to balance the time between family and friends and maybe even some alone time. We balance our bank accounts (or you might let the banks do the balancing for you). However you define it, balance is a goal everyone seems to strive to achieve.

Since being introduced to Bikram Yoga in 2011, I began seeing other aspects of life’s balancing act appear in my practice. The postures themselves present lessons in balance. The pushing/pulling partnership that is seen in Camel and Rabbit. The balance required to hold Standing Head to Knee. And who can forget Balancing Stick! Even though it’s only 10 seconds, my body completely understands the full complexity balance can bring.

My favorite definition of balance states “an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady”. I think all Bikram Yogis can relate to this statement as we constantly hear our teachers in Standing Bow, “Stretch forward and kick back, you can balance here forever”.  They teach us the importance of balancing our flexibility with our strength, our determination with our patience, and our effort with our relaxation.

There is also the mental, physical, and emotional balance that exists within each one of us.  Being in a room that’s 105 degrees with 40% humidity puts that balancing act to the test.  I haven’t experienced a class when at least one of these aspects isn’t being tested. You might have a great physical class with high emotions from the day, but your focus might not be at it’s highest.  When you can find the balance of all three for 90 minutes, I presume the final Savasana is unlike any other experienced (and I will be happy to let you know if I ever find out)!

You Have The Power To Heal Yourself!

By Amy Serafin When you really think about it, our bodies are a miraculous thing. Your body is designed to heal itself. If you should cut yourself, your body will heal the cut. If you cut yourself too deeply, you may need to go to the ER to get stitches, but after the doctor stitches you up, he/she will send you home to heal.  We often forget that our bodies have this amazing ability or we lack the tools to help our bodies to heal.

To heal yourself is completely within your power and I can personally speak from experience as to how I have healed my body with Bikram yoga.

I have scoliosis with curves in the cervical and lumber part of my spine, but my thoracic isn’t exactly straight either. I have dealt with varying levels of pain every day for the past 10 years, plus many side effects that I will not go into detail about here. However, at the pinnacle of my illness, my neck pain was to the point of debilitating. My C1 and C2 vertebrae were compressed and I suffered from migraines and at times a rather cranky disposition. Sleeping through the night was nearly impossible as my rest was taken in little increments. I couldn’t turn my head at night without severe neck pain waking me up.

To add to my frustration, I thought I was doing everything in my power to take care of myself. I sought out help from masseuses, doctors, dentists (I was treated for TMJ) and chiropractors.  I worked out regularly and ate healthy, but to no avail.  And rather than getting better, I continued to get worse to the point I was starting to lose feeling in my right hand and foot at night when I was sleeping.  I was a mess.

Then two years ago, I had the luckiest day of my life and I walked into a Bikram yoga studio. When I walked into the studio, I was unaware that Bikram had specifically designed his series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises to heal the body. I was just hoping that yoga would help alleviate some of the tension in my back and neck. Wow, was I in for a huge surprise.

Every day that I stepped into that hot yoga room, I slowly learned that I didn’t need anyone else to solve my health problems. I just had to be willing to commit to sweating, compressing, squeezing and stretching in a hot room for 90 minutes every day to heal myself. Once I made that commitment, my body started to change in amazing ways.

I don’t go to a chiropractor three times a week anymore. I actually don’t go at all, only rarely. If I go to a masseuse now, it is because I want to feel better not to relieve pain. I sleep through the night. I cried with joy the morning I woke up and realized I had turned my head in the middle of the night without waking up from the pain. I can sleep on my left side, which I hadn’t been able to do for years because of the curvature in my upper back. Completely gone is the loss of feeling or numbness in my right hand or foot when I sleep. My hips are more level and my right shoulder, which couldn’t even lie flat on the floor while in Savasana, now rests on the floor with ease. The chronic dull pain in my lower back is gone, along with the migraines and headaches. But best of all, my disposition and outlook on life is 120% better. I am happier, more relaxed and my quality of life is off the charts.

I will not lie to you and say that my journey practicing Bikram yoga for the past two years has been easy. I am working on changing my physiology, which is no easy task, but is within my power. There have been great days when I walk out of the room feeling like a million bucks and like I could take on the world. Then there are the days when I feel like I have been hit by a Mack truck and every muscle in my body is sore, tired and aches with fatigue. But I will tell you honestly and sincerely -- it has been completely and utterly worth it.

And even though my recovery is not complete,  my hips and my shoulders are still uneven and I get flare ups in my lower back as my spine realigns that can last a couple of days or weeks, I am not worried. Bikram yoga has given me the tools to heal myself and as long as I keep showing up every day and keep working, I move closer and closer to my goal of being completely healed. And the biggest miracle of all to me is that I did it all on my own. No one gave it to me. I earned it. I healed myself. No surgeries, no pills, just me. I walk into that hot room day after day and give myself the gift of MY life. That is power beyond compare.